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2.2.2 Referrals to the Access to Resources Team

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

The Access to Resources Team provides a single point of referral and advice on all placement issues.

All placements other than those made by the Emergency Duty Team and UASC must be identified and arranged by the Access to Resources Team following prior approval to the use of care and accommodation by the LAC Panel or Head of Service.


Contents

  1. Planned Short Term Placements
  2. Unplanned Placements
  3. Out of Hours Placements
  4. Independent Sector Placements
  5. Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children


1. Planned Short Term Placements

When LAC Panel approval is granted for accommodation and if the plan is for a fostering placement, the child's Social Worker must contact the duty worker in the Access to Resources Team. Full information must be provided by the child's Social Worker using the Placement Panel Report and Placement Agreement Form.

The ART and Fostering Support Team worker must seek to identify an appropriate in house foster placement.

If no suitable in house placement is available, the ART duty Social Worker must alert their Team Manager and the child's Social Worker must discuss the case with their Team Manager.

The child's Team Manager must liaise with the appropriate senior manager with a view to seeking funding for an independent sector placement.

Once a suitable in house placement has been identified by the ART and Fostering Support Team and agreed by the child's Social Worker, the ART duty Social Worker must contact the foster carer to discuss the referral.

Once all parties have agreed that the placement is to go ahead, introductions and a planning meeting must take place.

The child must not be placed until after a health care plan has been drawn up and the Referral and Information Record and Placement Information Record and Agreement have been completed, with copies being provided to the foster carer.


2. Unplanned Placements

When all other avenues have been explored and when Head of Service approval is granted for the use of accommodation the child's Social Worker must contact the duty worker in the Access to Resources Team.

When placements are made  during office hours the above procedure for Planned Short Term Placement must be established as soon as possible following placement.

In all cases the foster carer must be provided with a completed Referral and Information Record and Placement Information Record and Agreement prior to or at the same time as the child is placed.


3. Out of Hours Placements

The Access to Resources Team provide the Emergency Duty Team with a list of available and appropriate foster carers on a daily basis who can be used and approached to take placements outside of normal office hours. 

Supervising Social Workers must ensure they notify the Emergency Duty Team immediately of any change in the carer's situation - e.g. details of any foster carers who are unavailable or changes in the carer's contact details.

In the event of the Emergency Duty Team Social Worker requiring a foster placement, s/he must telephone the foster home and make arrangements direct.

The Emergency Duty Social Worker must inform the carer if the placement is not needed.

Before 10am the next working morning, the Emergency Duty Team Social Worker must notify the Access to Resources Team Duty Social Worker and the relevant children's team of the child's placement.

The allocated Social Worker within the relevant team must also contact the ART with their initial plan and to discuss what further action is required.

All further requests for EDT placements must be made via a LAC Placement Request/Agreement and be approved by the appropriate Group Manager.

The ART will not approve the use of a placement with an EDT carer unless the placement is made at a weekend.


4. Independent Sector Placements

Authorisation of the use of the Independent Sector

Planned Placements

All referrals for a planned placement must be approved by the LAC Panel before a referral is made to the Access to Resources Team.

The Panel may give approval for the use of the independent sector where the child's needs are so complex or specific that an appropriate in-house resource is unlikely to be available within a timeframe consistent with meeting the child's needs.

Panel may also give approval for the use of the independent sector where the Access to Resources Team has been unable to identify a suitable in-house resource.

Immediate Placements

Where a placement is required in the independent sector and a decision cannot wait until the next Placement Panel meeting, prior approval must be sought from the Head of Service for Fostering, Adoption and Access to Resources using a LAC Placement Request/Agreement Form.

The Head of Service  may give approval if any of the conditions stated under Planned Placements above are met.

The Head of Service may give approval only until the date of the next Panel.

These placements are not to be regarded as permanent and must be considered further by the next Panel meeting.

The Head of Service must notify the Access to Resources Team (by e-mail) of their decision and give permission fo

r an emergency placement to be sought.

The Finance Control Manager, Contracts Team Leader and the Panel Administrator must be copied in.


5. Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children

Unaccompanied asylum seeking children needing to become looked after must be referred to the Looked After Children's Panel, or in an emergency the Head of Service in the usual way.

Unaccompanied asylum seeking children aged over 16 years of age can only be accommodated on the authorisation of the Head of Service.

End